Get the latest delivered to your inbox
Privacy Policy

Now Reading

The Clarence Foundation Announces Launch of Engaged International Philanthropy Program

The Clarence Foundation Announces Launch of Engaged International Philanthropy Program

Published 08-29-03

Submitted by Clarence Foundation, The

ALBANY, CA--The Clarence Foundation announces the launch of its Engaged International Philanthropy Program on September 10, 2003 in Stanford, California.

The program is part of a major effort to promote international philanthropy by creating globally focused giving circles. Participants will join a group of 10-15 people who will pool their time, talent and resources to support small international projects.

The Clarence Foundation, an international grantmaking organization based in Albany, California, is spearheading this initiative in collaboration with several other philanthropic organizations. Ashoka (Innovators for the Public), a Washington D.C.-based organization whose mission is to develop the profession of social entrepreneurship worldwide, will contribute a portfolio of social entrepreneurs to be considered by the first giving circle.

The one-year program will combine learning about global philanthropy with the hands-on process of group grantmaking. Participants will review proposals submitted by Ashoka fellows, communicate with prospective grantees via e-mail, make funding decisions and identify skills and expertise within the giving circle to help grantees meet identified needs. There will also be an optional extension to travel and work with grantees more intensively.

The program will feature a learning curriculum that has been developed in association with Grantmakers Without Borders, a funders network striving to fight global poverty and foster social justice by promoting international social change philanthropy. End Poverty Foundation, whose goal is to eradicate poverty by applying capital and free enterprise tools to empower entrepreneurs in developing countries, will also contribute its expertise in microfinance to the curriculum. Other co-sponsors include Bay Area International Development Organizations (BAIDO) and Social Venture Partners Bay Area.

The eight meetings of the program will highlight best practices in global giving through readings, discussion and presentations by renowned leaders in the international philanthropy field. The covered topics will inform the work of the giving circle participants as they engage in each stage of the global grantmaking process.

Giving Circles "Going Global"
"Giving circles have been an exciting trend in local and national philanthropy," says Marc Ross Manashil, Executive Director of the Clarence Foundation. "We believe the time is now right for the concept to 'go global.' Giving circles are an excellent way of promoting personal engagement between donors and grantees, which is particularly important in global giving, as it helps reassure donors that their contributions can be held to high standards of accountability. And direct personal connection is absolutely crucial if we want to boost abysmally low rates of global philanthropy."

The initiative was created to promote global philanthropic involvement among foundations and individual donors. According to Giving USA 2003, the annual yearbook published by the American Association of Fundraising Counsel's Trust for Philanthropy, less than 2 percent of philanthropic dollars in the United States are designated to international causes.

Giving Circle Open House
Founders of the Engaged International Philanthropy Program will host an open house on September 10, 2003, from 7-8:30pm at the Stanford Grill on the Stanford University campus, featuring speeches by past giving circle participants and experts in the field of international philanthropy.

The first giving circle of the program will meet eight times between September and June 2003 in the San Francisco Bay Area. A group is currently being organized in Phoenix, Arizona, and announcements regarding giving circles in other cities are forthcoming. The program is open to both individual donors and representatives of foundations who wish to explore global giving. A special corporate program has been developed for companies that wish to encourage employee participation in global giving circles.

About The Clarence Foundation
The Clarence Foundation is an international grantmaking organization based in Albany, California. The foundation promotes the practice of engaged international philanthropy by providing opportunities for emerging and established grantmakers to contribute their time, talent and resources to effect global change. Its approach emphasizes direct personal connection and is inspired by the message of Clarence, a character in the film It's a Wonderful Life. To date, the foundation has made direct grants to organizations in countries such as El Salvador, India, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Georgia. Prior to creating the Engaged International Philanthropy Program, the foundation hosted the Africa Circle, which has met quarterly to communicate with grassroots organizations in Africa and make funding decisions.

Clarence Foundation, The

Clarence Foundation, The

More from Clarence Foundation, The

Join today and get the latest delivered to your inbox